隨著虛擬社群的增加，透過網際網路進行知識分享的行為越來越盛行，社群成員分享知識及參與意願往往決定虛擬社群成功與否，而社群凝聚力在社群成員分享知識及參與過程中扮演重要的角色。近年來關於網路行為方面的研究在管理學界逐漸受到重視，虛擬社群提供網路使用者便捷的知識交換平台，使用者分享知識的意願也成為虛擬社群經營上重要的成功指標。過去的研究指出，社群凝聚力是決定知識分享意願的重要因素。相反地，若是成員認知社群中充滿著社會閒散行為則會影響社群凝聚力的建立，甚至會危害社群的營運與成長。社會閒散行為在傳統社群中的研究很多，但對於虛擬社群中社會閒散行為的研究卻相對較少，過去的研究多半集中在傳統學習團體。因此，本研究將以虛擬社群成員為研究對象，探討認知社會閒散在虛擬社群運作上所扮演的角色，以及對於虛擬社群的凝聚力所造成的影響。為了更清楚了解認知社會閒散的影響因素，本研究整合社會資本理論與虛擬社群的各項特性，將虛擬社群中可能影響認知社會閒散的因素分為三方面：結構社會資本（匿名性、離線活動）、關聯社會資本（社群承諾、強制互惠）以及認知社會資本（社群知名度、知識品質）。結構社會資本是指社群成員連結的型態及緊密程度，虛擬社群的連結型態包括線上活動及離線活動，本研究以線上活動特有的匿名性及離線活動舉辦的頻率作為結構社會資本的衡量指標。關係社會資本主要包含成員之信任程度、共同規範以及對社群之認同感，本研究以虛擬社群中的強制互惠性及對於社群的認同感作為關係社會資本的衡量指標。認知社會資本是指在社群中促進個體對外表現的一致特徵的資源，具體表現在個體對事物共同的解釋與看法，例如：共享價值觀、共同願景及共同語言，因此本研究將社群的知名度視為共享願景，知識交流的品質是為共同語言與價值，結合二者作為認知社會資本的衡量指標。以此三種不同社會資本構面來探討影響認知社會閒散在虛擬社群中所扮演的角色，並進一步分析認知社會閒散與社群凝聚力之間的關係。本研究以過去學術文獻發展出來的問項作為衡量工具，透過網路問卷方式，在不同專業社群中收集問卷，讓不同虛擬社群的網路使用者共同參與本研究。研究貢獻主要是將傳統社群的認知社會閒散研究延伸至虛擬社群之中，探討虛擬社群中認知社會閒散對社群凝聚力的影響。本文也提出主要影響認知社會閒散的因素包括社群承諾、強制互惠、離線活動與社群知名度。綜合以上研究結果，本研究證明採用社會資本理論可以有效瞭解認知社會閒散的影響因素，並且確認社會閒散對於凝聚力在虛擬社群中同樣具有反向效果，為虛擬社群的發展提供具體貢獻與建議。 Recent years have seen increased attention being given to online user behavior research in management science literature. As the virtual communities increase, knowledge sharing in Internet has become more easily. The motivation to share members’ knowledge is critical to virtual community’s survival and success. Previous research has established that knowledge sharing intentions are based on community cohesion. Community cohesion is closely related to community production and performance. However, several studies indicated that social loafing behavior will seriously corrode community cohesion. Therefore, either social loafing or perceived social loafing to the community is obstacle to fostering virtual community development. The majority of prior research in social loafing has focused on traditional community or learning group practices. A substantial studies have been performed on the critical factors that affect social loafing in the traditional learning group, those on virtual communities are still lacking. Little is known about the conceptual framework and working methods of perceived social loafing at present. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of perceived social loafing on community cohesion and examine the relationship between social capital and perceived social loafing. To better understand the reasons for perceived social loafing, a new approach that classifies these characteristics of virtual community into three dimensions of social capital is presented in this study. The research model was tested with data collected from members of various virtual communities via the Internet. In order to target online users, a Web-based survey was employed. The survey measures for this study were derived from previously published studies. The contribution of this study is to extent the research of social loafing on traditional community to virtual community. It also investigates the relationship between social loafing and community cohesion. It then discusses the central theoretical concept, social capital, and virtual community characteristics: anonymity, offline activities, commitment, reciprocity, knowledge quality and external prestige. To conclude, this study may be of importance in explaining the different dimension of social capital effects on perceived social loafing. Implications for theory and practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.
